Back to Basics: Airplane Etiquette. . . or 15 Pet Peeves to Avoid Inflight
December 27, 2007 by Mary Jo Manzanares
Filed under Air Travel, Travel Tips
From the minute you left home to head to the airport until you finally have a beverage on your tray, it probably feels like the fates have been conspiring against your trip going as planned.
And it’s not over yet. You are crammed into a long metal tube with a bunch of other people. And some of them aren’t well mannered, nor do they place nice with others.
It shouldn’t have to be said, but clearly it does, so here’s a list of some basic airplane etiquette. Before you start to criticize anyone else, make sure you aren’t guilty of some of these behaviors yourself:
- Unless you are absolutely certain that you are odor-free, leave your shoes and socks on. If you must remove your shoes, put them back on if you are going to walk around the cabin.
- Exercise good hygiene. Without touching off a barrage of cultural issues, when you are going to be in cramped quarters with others, everyone needs to be sensitive to body odor — their own. Most airlines have a policy regarding offensive odors, so if you are on the ground and find your olfactory senses assaulted, contact a Flight Attendant and ask for resolution.
- Be sensitive and aware when reclining your seat. It is your “right” to recline your seat, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk about it. I try to keep my seat upright during meal time, and always check in back of me before reclining it.
- When you stand up from your seat, refrain from grabbing the headrest of the seat in front of you. This is usually an issue of unawareness, rather than outright disregard, but when you grab the seat and pull it back as you leverage yourself out of the seat, it can act as a catapult for the person sitting there minding their own business.
- Share the armrest. There are times when WWIII seems like it’s going to break out over this issue, when it’s really a basic math problem. If an airplane leaves Miami with three seats on one side of the aircraft, and every seat full, how is it possible for three adults to share four armrests and still be comfortable? There’s not an easy answer, and it’s one of those times when playing nice with one another pays off. If you do get an armrest,however, make sure you don’t spill over into someone’s else’s space. That’s a rule!
- Watch how loud you are talking. This is both to protect your private conversation from the ears of others, and so that your constant chattering doesn’t annoy people around you.
- Certain personal behavior should be done in the privacy of your own home, and not in public. That includes clipping nails, picking anything (zits, scabs, nose, or any other body part for that matter), shaving, trimming nose hairs, spitting, etc.
- Keep your eyes away from your neighbor’s movie, laptop screen, personal papers, magazine, etc. I know you’re curious, and it’s hard not to pry, but just don’t. And before you spread out your own stuff, make sure that you aren’t showing your divorce papers or business merger to the rest of the world.
- Keep your arms, feet and personal items out of the aisle. People will bump you or trip over you if you do. And it won’t be their fault, so lose the aggrieved look.
- Don’t fly when you are sick, especially if you’re contagious. At the very minimum, cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.
- If someone needs by you, get out of your seat and step into the aisle to allow them access. Don’t make people climb over you.
- Make sure that you don’t inadvertently kick the seat in front of you, and make sure that you’re kids don’t either. Once is not a big deal. Twice will get you a look, and you should apologize. Any more than that is likely to result in a Flight Attendant call.
- Watch the use of fragrance, both before the flight and reapplying mid-flight. You may love the scent, but in a closed environment it may be a lot stronger than you realize, causing aggravation to those who don’t share your appreciation of the scent, and pain to those who suffer from allergies or sinus problems.
- Wear headphones when playing games, listening to music, or watching a movie. Most airlines actually require this, but even if they don’t there’s no reason why the rest of the plane needs to listen to your entertainment.
- Keep adult material out of sight. It’s not appropriate reading of viewing material in a public location.
Did I hit on one of your pet peeves? Or did I forget one? Is there something that absolutely makes your flight unbearable? There’s lot of room for you to sound off in the comments!
Photo credit: SXC
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If you’re planning on sleeping throughout the flight, don’t take an aisle seat. And if you do, don’t get upset when you’re woken up by someone needing to get by.
Let people by as you board. Don’t hog the aisle. If you do, you’ll hold up the flight – and that might mean big-time delays if you lose your slot.
Don’t use half the overhead bin just for your coat, and then look sour when someone with a legitimate bag touches your precious garment to gently reposition it.
And here’s an ‘anticipatory’ peeve: Soon, cellphones will be allowed on some airlines (they may be allowed already). I can see it now… conversations on either side of me, by people I don’t know, with people I don’t care to know, about things I’d be better off not knowing… it’s enough to make me give up flying!
My additions:
- Never apply nail polish during the flight. Yes, I’ve seen and smelled it on a cross country flight.
- Don’t assume the overhead over “your” seat is just for you. You should have learned about sharing in second grade.
- If a person keeps reopening their book or putting their headphones on, it usually means they don’t want to chat.
- Yes, kids need to move around on a long fligh, but don’t let them run up and down the asile more than once without adult supervision.
- If you must have a cocktail or two, remember alcohol hits your harder while flying. And no one wants to listen to a drunk tell bad jokes, especially on a 5 hour flight.
- If you are flying with someone but seated more than one row apart, wait until you get off the plane to have your conversation. We don’t need to listen to you yell across 9 rows about what a great time you just had.
Scribetrotter –Yeah, the whole cellphone thing makes me pretty nervous. As soon as planes get internet connections set up, users will be able to use services like Skype to talk to people. I fear the onslaught of never ending chatter!
Jon – The use of nail polish is generally prohibited on most carriers. At the first whiff of it, I’ll advise the person to cap it and put it away, so if you continue to smell it, you might want to let a Flight Attendant know. (Nail polish is highly flammable, by the way.)
Additions:
- Please leave those decks of cards at home. There is nothing more annoying than hearing a deck of cards get cut 4 or 5 times each deal in your ear. If you have play cards, please play solitaire on your laptop.
- Please watch your kids if you let them play on the tray on the seat back in front of them. Remember that this tray is connected to the seat in front and actions upon it are amplified!
- Talking- please keep your talking to a whisper to take other people’s courtesy into consideration.
Those are great additions, Ken.
The sound of riffling cards can get old pretty fast. And what about the people sitting across the aisle from one another who are intent on playing cards with one another, and constantly reaching across obstructing the aisle?
OR WHO SHOUT AT ONE ANOTHER ACROSS THE AISLE???
People ringing call buttons every 3 seconds. Theres, on average, 1 flight attendant for every 50 passengers so its going to take some time for the F/A to answer your request.
That’s a huge flight attendant pet peeve as well! Ring it if you need something that’s really important — but don’t misuse it!
what do you say to the kid kicking your seat the whole flight? or do you engage w/the parent? and how do you say it so that you’re not rude to a 4-yr old girl?
One thing – very important to me is to practice basic respect of those around you. The woman next to me on a 13 hour flight took my bottle of water out of my seat pocket when she thought I was asleep. It was a small 12 ounce bottle that the airline provided for such a long flight. 30 hour trips are common for me, so I savor that one bottle over the longest leg – the 13 hour run.
When she saw I was awake she actually asked me “Oh, is this okay?” I said sure, because she already had it open. Entirely rude. I’ve wondered if it was a cultural difference I’m unaware of (she being Korean, myself American), but Korean Air has been one of the best I’ve flown, and everyone is normally very respectful of one another. She was just a gem I guess, but suffice it to say that I made sure my passport was tucked inside my jacket when I did eventually fall asleep.
I see that kind of behavior a lot. I’ve seen people pickup something from a first class passenger seat as they’ve walked through.
I don’t know if it’s the thrill of getting away with something, a sense of entitlement, or just a total disregard for anyone else. Makes me shake my head in wonder.
I’ve never flown on Korean Air, but look forward to trying out their service. I’ve heard lots of good things.